Implantable microchips for controlled drug delivery

We report on the development of an implantable drug delivery system capable of delivering multiple individual doses. This product controls the release of potent therapeutic compounds that might otherwise require frequent injections. The system will provide stable, hermetic storage of therapeutic drugs, such as proteins and peptides, in solid, liquid, or gel form. Because discrete doses are stored individually, multiple-drug regimens of pulsatile or continuous release are possible. The microchip drug release technology has been evaluated in release studies in vitro and in vivo. Here we describe one such study. The method of drug release was successfully demonstrated and found to be reliable and repeatable.